M&G Media is pleased to announce the appointment of Nic Dawes and Rapule Tabane to lead its award-winning editorial team.
Nic Dawes will assume the role of editor-in-chief on June 1, following the departure to City Press of Ferial Haffajee, which was announced on March 30. He will have overall responsibility for the company’s print and multimedia products, including the flagship Mail & Guardian weekly, and Mail & Guardian Online.
Dawes will be supported in this role by poltical editor Rapule Tabane, who is to be promoted to the new post of deputy editor-in-chief.
Dawes joined the Mail & Guardian as associate editor in 2004 from ThisDay newspaper, and has since combined roles as an investigative and political reporter with editing duties and the running of the paper’s Cape Town bureau. He was part of the team that broke the story linking police chief Jackie Selebi to the underworld networks surrounding Brett Kebble, and has also contributed extensive news and analysis on politics and economic policy.
Tabane joined the M&G as senior political correspondent six years ago from Independent Newspapers and quickly made his mark, leading to his promotion as political editor two years later. He has led the paper’s incisive political coverage, a crucial factor in the paper’s phenomenal circulation growth of recent years. The papers audited circulation has increased from 48 292 in 2006 to the current 58 258 while its readership has grown from approximately 300 000 to 500 000.
M&G Media CEO Trevor Ncube said, “Nic and Rapule are the products of our succession planning and we are confident that they are ready for this challenge. Ferial has trained them well and it is time to reap the benefits of our planning”.
“Editing the Mail & Guardian is an awesome responsibility”, said Dawes. “I would like to think that my time at the paper has prepared me well, but the fact is that I am being entrusted with a national institution at an enormously challenging time for our country and our industry. I am confident that we can rise to those challenges principally because I will have the support of Rapule, an extraordinary newsroom team, and the legacy left behind by Ferial.
“I am grateful to Trevor Ncube and the board for entrusting me with the job of continuing to build a fine newspaper and website.”
“There are thrilling possibilities — and responsibilities — for journalism in this country right now, and for an industry that is still figuring out how to cope with the impact of new media and distribution models. I can’t imagine a better job”.
“Nic is one of the cleverest people I know and he is a brilliant journalist. That he’s a good cyclist and a fine cook also helps to round off one of our industry’s shining lights. Rapule already leads our coverage of politics and with his strength of character and team-building skills is perfectly poised to take the team into a challenging future,” said Haffajee.